2024-12-31-accounts - Urban Expression

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Charity Number: 1090734

Urban Expression Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

Page Contents 2 - 4 Trustees ’ annual report 5 Independent e xaminer’s report 6 Receipts & payments account 7 Statement of assets & liabilities 8 - 9 Notes to the accounts

Urban Expression Trustees ’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2024

Full name Urban Expression

Charity Number 1090734

Principal address 21 Forest Hill Road London SE22 0SG

Trustees

Andy Dorton (chair) Dirk Uitterdijk Emma Macintosh Bev Thomas Keith Lewis (treasurer) Jen Johnson Rachel Meyrick

Bankers

The Co-operative Bank

Independent examiner

Daryl Denson ACMA Employee of VAST The Dudson Centre Hope Street Hanley Stoke on Trent ST1 5DD

Urban Expression Trustees ’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2024

Objectives and activities

The objectives of the charity are:

To advance the Christian faith in London and in such parts of the United Kingdom as the trustees may from time-to-time think fit by recruiting, equipping, deploying, and supporting teams which will pioneer innovative and relevant expressions of the Christian Church.
To fulfil such other purposes which are exclusively charitable in the law of England and Wales and are connected with the charitable work of the Trust.

Structure, Governance and Management

Urban Expression is a registered charity, governed by declaration of trust executed on the 8 October 2001 as amended 11 June 2008 and by deeds of variation dated 21 April 2010 and 12 July 2010.

Funds transferred into the organisation

During the period CURBS (Children in Urban Situations) and Urban Life were absorbed into the organisation

Public Benefit

Urban Expression has continued to recruit, equip, deploy and network mission partners in economically deprived and other marginalised neighbourhoods in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A small team of coordinators is primarily responsible for supporting these mission partners.

Coastal Expression, which operates under the auspices of Urban Expression, has continued to develop and has hosted online and in-person events for pioneers in coastal communities.

We have continued to run the Crucible course, especially in partnership with The Methodist Church. We have also continued to run the Black Light course in partnership with the Ascension Trust. With our partners, Urban Life, we have facilitated Communities of Practice to enable participants in these courses to embed what they have learned in their ongoing practice.

We have provided coaching for pioneers working under the auspices of the Church at the Margins initiative of The Methodist Church.

In 2023 we absorbed CURBS (Children in Urban Situations) and Urban Life under the umbrella organisation of Urban Expression, although both of these projects maintain their own unique areas of focus within the overall objectives of Urban Expression. We are working on creating a more holistic mission agency, which offers support, training and opportunities for ongoing learning both for those new to the organisation and those who have been connected to UE for some time.

Our trustees have continued to meet four times a year in order to oversee the activities of the Trust. The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Urban Expression Trustees ’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2024

Summary of achievements and performance

We have had some new mission partners join Urban Expression, so we now have more mission partners in more locations than ever before. Or mission partners are involved in a wide range of incarnational mission activities, including church planting.

We gathered for our annual Community Weekend in June, attended by nearly 80 people. There were also regional gatherings in the north and south of England, as well as in Scotland enabled mission partners in these areas to connect with each other. In common with many other organisations postpandemic, we are increasingly connecting online, but we value in-person gatherings.

The Black Light course has proved very popular and has continued to attract good numbers from many contexts. Feedback has been very encouraging.

With the addition of CURBs and Urban Life, we feel excited about the possibilities for more joined up mission and reflection on best practice. We believe that we will be able to offer mission partners, and grassroots leaders more opportunities for learning from others who are pioneering in marginalised and deprived communities.

Financial review: The organisation’s policy on reserves

The charity reserves policy guidelines are to set aside funds to cover statutory redundancy payments with an additional amount to cover six months operating costs.

The total unrestricted free reserves held at the year-end were £ 70,262 (2023: £91,600).

Signed on behalf of the trustees:

30.8.2025 Signed ______ Date _ Text Name _________ Andrew Dorton

Position ________ Chair of Trustees

Independent e xaminer’s report to the trustees of Urban Expression (“The Trust”) for the year ended 31 December 2024

Responsibilities and basis of report

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 December 2024.

As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent Examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

Accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
The accounts do not accord with the records; or
The accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirements that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

23/10/2025 Signed ____ Date _______ Daryl Denson ACMA VAST

Urban Expression Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 December 2024

Receipts
Donations
Black light Income
Crucible Income
Grants Received
Events
Gift Aid
Sales
Services Level Agreements
Community Weekend
Urban Life
Other
Total receipts
Payments
Staff Costs
Crucible Fees
Accommodation
BL Speaker Fees
Travel and Subsistence
Administration
Room Hire Meetings
Training Events
Publicity
Insurance
Payroll Fees
Community Weekend
Self Employed Costs
Legal and Professional Fees
Purchases
Other Costs
Trustee Reimbursement
Independent Examiner's fee
Total payments
Net receipts/(payments)
Transfers between funds
Cash funds brought forward
Cash funds carried forward

2024
2024
2024
2023
£
£
£
£
Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2,081
5,779
7,860
55,472
-
1,680
1,680
3,642
-
1,333
1,333
699
47,795
40,575
88,370
99,726
-
-
-
2,887
-
833
833
5,048
-
261
261
323
980
-
980
1,360
-
2,077
2,077
-
3,609
600
4,209
-
30
33
63
1,128
54,495
53,171
107,666
170,285
55,637
17,934
73,571
64,380
7
900
907
972
-
-
-
1,847
-
1,325
1,325
1,225
2,759
869
3,628
5,404
910
5
915
2,091
370
2,455
2,825
481
80
14
94
948
50
-
50
251
788
-
788
650
367
-
367
509
84
9,308
9,392
11,093
7,186
4,765
11,951
5,929
-
-
-
450
-
218
218
200
685
500
1,185
1,503
325
-
325
-
-
-
-
418
69,248
38,293
107,541
98,351
(14,753)
14,878
125
71,934
(9,539)
9,539
-
-
94,554
42,851
137,405
65,471
70,262
67,268
137,530
137,405

Urban Expression Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 December 2024

Cash assets Current account Savings account Paypal Liabilities Independent Examiner's Fee	2024 2023 £ £ 123,493 122,578 14,037 14,037 - 790 137,530 137,405 438 438 438 438

These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the organisation by:

Signed ______ Date _ 24/10/2025 Andrew Dorton Name ______ Position ___________ Chair of Trustees

Urban Expression Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024

1. Receipts & payments accounts

Receipts and payments accounts are statements that summarise the movement of cash into and out of the organisation during the financial year. In this context “cash” includes cash equivalents, for example, bank accounts where cash can be readily withdrawn to pay for debts as they become due.

2. Creditors

Accountancy

2024 £ - -	2023 £ 438
	438

3. Trustees ’ remuneration

No trustees received remuneration during the period. The number of trustees who were reimbursed expenses was £0 (2023: £0).

4. Movement of Funds

Restricted funds BMS EMBA YBA Other A.S.Charitable Trust Coastal Expression Rural Ministries Mennonite Grant Community Weekend AM Network BL Project Black Light BU Mission Fund Coaching for Methodists Crucible Curbs HEBA Urban Life Books Unrestricted funds General Funds Total funds	Opening Receipts (Payments) Transfer Closing balance balance £ £ £ £ £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1,996 - - - 1,996 1,015 - - - 1,015 14,735 21,174 (8,449) - 27,460 2,388 - - - 2,388 544 - - - 544 - 2,077 (10,128) 8,051 - - 4,742 (3,992) - 750 3,636 - (1,185) - 2,451 1,772 1,680 (1,575) - 1,877 8,131 8,384 - - 16,515 480 - (480) - - - 1,333 (986) - 347 2,578 7,212 (3,313) - 6,477 171 6,308 (7,967) 1,488 - 5,405 - 0 - 5,405 - 261 (218) - 43
	42,851 53,171 (38,293) 9,539 67,268
	Opening Receipts (Payments) Transfer Closing balance balance £ £ £ £ £ 94,554 54,495 (69,248) (9,539) 70,262
	94,554 54,495 (69,248) (9,539) 70,262

	137,405 107,666 (107,541) - 137,530

Urban Expression Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024

5. Purposes of Restricted Funds

– Coastal Expression funding given specifically for the Coastal Expression initiative.

Rural Ministries provided funding to support the work of a coordinator particularly on the Crucible course

Mennonite Grant - provided funding for a coordinator role.

Community Fund - grants given to subsidise the annual community weekend.

AM Network – providing funding towards a coordinator salary

– BL Project project funding

– Black Light monies ring-fenced for the Black Light Course

BU Mission Fund – grant funding to support coordinator time to deliver the Impact Report project

Crucible Course – monies ring-fenced for the Crucible Course

Curbs – monies allotted to the Curbs initiative

HEBA – grant funding support for the Midlands region Coordinator’s salary

Urban Life – ring-fenced funding for the Urban Life initiative

Books – from the sale of books